FAQ - About Child Sponsorship

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. When you sponsor a child, you help bring long-term changes to that child’s community, creating a happier and healthier environment in which to grow up. 

We work in a community until it becomes self-sufficient, which usually takes from 10 to 15 years. As a sponsor, you join in this work for as long as you are able. However, each time you select a child to sponsor, there are many other variables that determine the length of time that the child may be available for sponsorship, such as the development phase of the project, or if the child’s family stays in the project area. When a child is no longer available or when a project comes to an end, you will be invited to help transform another child’s life.

When you sponsor a child, you provide access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, education and health care. You will receive a welcome package from World Vision and a letter of introduction from your sponsored child or from World Vision staff working in the child’s community. Each year, you’ll also receive an updated photo of your sponsored child and a progress report, which will let you know about the good news happening in his or her community.

Yes. We account for every dollar. Of the funds given to World Vision in 2020, 80.9% went directly to programs that help children and families, 13.0% went to fundraising, and 6.1% was allocated to administration. Audits are conducted regularly by external firms to verify the accuracy of our financial reporting. To learn more about how donations are used, check out our latest Annual Report.

No. We do not organize adoption or bringing children to Canada for visits. Your help to improve a child’s quality of life and self-reliance in their own countries and cultures has deeper value than moving them to a foreign country.
 

In everything we do, we aim to find the best balance between cost, donor satisfaction and the impact of donated dollars. As a best practice, we will provide donors with prior notice before any proposed increase is implemented. We will obtain your consent to any increase in your monthly sponsorship amount through an ‘opt-out’ process. This means that if you receive World Vision Canada’s notice of an increase and want to participate, there is nothing further required from you. If you don’t want to participate, simply indicate so by using one of the easy ‘opt-out’ options that will be provided. As always, if you wish to stop your sponsorship, you may do so at any time.